Date of publication: March 28, 2022 • 2 hours ago • 5 minutes reading • 193 comments The Prime Minister Justin Trinto was photographed in Brussels on March 24, 2022. Photo by Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP) (Photo by KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP via Getty Images
Content of the article
First Reading is a daily newsletter that keeps you informed of the plight of Canadian politicians, all curated by Tristin Hopper of the National Post. To receive an early version that is sent directly to your inbox every Monday through Thursday at 6 p.m. ET (and 9 a.m. on Saturdays), sign up here.
Advertising 2
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
TOP STORY
In a recent interview with Postmedia, Conservative leadership pioneer Pierre Poilievre referred to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Canada’s first “NDP prime minister”. The framework, of course, is the recently concluded Supply and Trust Agreement, the new agreement under which the NDP agrees to support the Trinto government until 2025, provided it delivers a checklist of progressive priorities, mainly a national dental program. care. But Poilievre’s point was that the Liberals under Trudeau have moved too far to the left of the more centrist version overseen by Jean Chretien or Paul Martin. Trinto is not literally a member of the New Democratic Party, of course, but what about the idea that he is at least the most left-wing prime minister in Canadian history?
Advertising 3
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
It’s been something that conservative critics of Trinto have been saying for some time, but it’s mostly an argument that is also of interest to his supporters. In an article in The Atlantic published during the most recent federal election, former Trudeau adviser Omer Aziz called the Canadian leader “the most progressive leader of my life,” citing the legalization of marijuana and the introduction of a carbon tax. others. Stornoway, the official residence of the Official Opposition Leader, was recently found to be producing unreasonably high water bills. In June and July of last year, the house somehow managed to use municipal water for $ 7,556. And although Conservative interim leader Candice Bergen is only going to live there for a few months, her relocation cost has exceeded $ 19,000. Photo by Postmedia File Another US publication, the Washington Monthly, also suggested that by international standards, Trinto was “the most successful progressive leader in the world.” Their “policy achievements” rating included huge spending on infrastructure, increases in seniors’ benefits, extended gun bans, $ 10 / day childcare, and the largest increase in Canadian immigration targets since 1911.
Advertising 4
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
After the NDP failed to win the 2021 election, columnist Stephen Maher theorized for Maclean’s that they simply could not overcome a Liberal Party running the “most left-wing government in Canadian history.” And when weighed against Canada’s prime ministers, the papers are admittedly stacked in favor of Trinto, and even the most progressive leaders in Canada’s past are still outdated reactionaries by 2022. John Diefenbaker’s elimination immigration law and led the charge of expelling South Africa from the Commonwealth of Nations over apartheid, but was not a big fan of legalizing sodomy. Sir John A. Macdonald was one of the first political leaders in the British Empire to defend the women’s suffrage, but. Well.
Advertising 5
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
Undoubtedly, the only other prime minister who is even a candidate in the “more left” category would be Trinto’s father, Pierre. First, Pierre was actually an NDPer for a while. during the 1950s he was a member of the party’s predecessor, the CCF. Second, Pierre would have gained a reputation for being unusually friendly to literal communists. He went on holiday to the beach with Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, praised the Soviet system during a visit to Stalin Russia, and also showed some hesitation with the leadership of Chinese dictator Mao Zedong after his visit to China. , which saw up to 30 million die from communist mismanagement of the economy.
Advertising 6
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
In all of this, Justin’s record ends mainly at that time in 2013, when he expressed his admiration for China’s “basic dictatorship”. Pierre Trudeau and Fidel were photographed in a Havana singalong in 1976. Photo by Library and Archives Canada
CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP STRUGGLE
Holy cow, many people are running for leader of the Conservatives now. With no other candidates in the race for the few hours before this newsletter is published, the number is now 11:
There is the pioneer, Pierre Poilievre, the Franco-Albertan MP from the Ottawa area, known for his Twitter attacks in the House of Commons. Former Quebec Prime Minister Jean Charest is the “moderate” favorite. Patrick “Comeback Kid” Brown, who announced his offer just days after settling a defamation lawsuit, clearing his name of allegations of sexual harassment with a minor. Two MEPs seeking promotion: Scott Aitchison and Marc Dalton. A challenger returning from the last fight. Leslyn Lewis is the only one of the four candidates from the 2020 race to try again. Leona Alesslev. She is the former Liberal who passed the floor in 2018 and became the deputy leader of the party a year later. A candidate who has already been expelled from another conservative party. Roman Baber was Ontario MPP in the Premier Doug Ford parliamentary group before being fired for criticizing Ford’s COVID policies. Two dark horses veterans of Tory’s doomed campaigns in Ontario: Bobby Singh and Joel Etienne. And an activist from the blues: Joseph Bourgault of Saskatchewan, founder of the Canadians for Truth.
This is not a promotional photo for a Montreal indie band, this is what Parti Quebecois is like today. The flag bearer of Quebec autonomy since 1968, now has only seven seats in the Quebec National Assembly. They took this photo on the street to hear the new government budget last week. Photo from Twitter
Probably the most important approval last week was former Ontario Prime Minister Mike Harris, who approved Charest. In a race where Charest faces almost daily accusations that he is not a “real” conservative, it’s a coup to get a thumbs up from Harris, the rare example of a Canadian conservative who did really conservative things while in government such as tax cuts and cost reduction.
Advertising 7
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
While we are at the issue of approvals, see how this is done…
Poilievre is completely dominant. Of the 118 total approvals so far, he has received 69 of them, including 44 MEPs who make up 37 per cent of the parliamentary group. Charest is in second place with 36 approvals. He is doing particularly well among former officials. 17 of them are politically retired. Leslyn Lewis received the approval of the Campaign Life Coalition as the leading candidate for the life of the struggle. Although he has not vowed to ban abortions, he has promised to fight abortions by gender. Lewis also received a nod from Stockwell Day, the former leader of the Canadian Alliance. Kevin O’Leary supported Charest. In 2017, O’Leary ran for Conservative leadership with a Donald Trump-type strategy that said “the rich use the populist platform to kidnap the right-wing party.” However, he gave up almost immediately. Five candidates have absolutely no support (you know, except for their friends and family, probably).
Advertising 8
This ad has not been uploaded yet, but your article continues below.
Content of the article
A Wikipedia volunteer hero even created this absurdly detailed approval map. Photo by TheEpicGhosty / Wikimedia Commons
IN OTHER NEWS
Jason Kenney no longer wants to be Alberta’s prime minister, but he can not resign because all of his possible replacements are drugs. At least, that’s Kenney’s general feeling, as expressed at a recent parliamentary group meeting that was secretly recorded and the tape was handed over to the CBC. “I do not need this job,” Kenney was quoted as saying to his colleagues last Tuesday. The prime minister adds that he thought of leaving them before Christmas, but decided that it would be “extremely irresponsible” because he could hand over the party to “strangers”. Just as Canada is opening its doors to Ukrainian refugees, it may be worth considering how well we coped with the recent refugee crisis. When Kabul fell last August, more than 9,000 Afghans who had worked with the Canadian Armed Forces were suddenly in danger of being retaliated against by the new Taliban leaders. While countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom have been able to cope with huge refugee flights, Canada’s effort has been delayed, disorganized and sadly inadequate. A recent census found that only 2,385 Afghan nationals who had worked with the Canadian Armed Forces were able to secure passage to Canada. A warehouse in Alberta may not be immediately remembered as a wake-up call, but this leaflet published in the Calgary Warehouse breakroom has been circulating on the Internet …
